• Maria Carmenza Mejia, John Mitchell, Meghana Dumpa, Dennis G Maki, Mark DiCorcia, Robert S Levine, and Charles H Hennekens.
• Department of Family and Community Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, 3701 Kirby Dr, Houston, 77098, TX, United States. Electronic address: maria.mejia@bcm.edu.
• J Natl Med Assoc. 2024 Apr 1; 116 (2 Pt 1): 174179174-179.

AbstractIn this original research we present new emerging data in COVID-19 that create urgent challenges for health providers in prevention and treatment. Health providers should be aware that COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths have increased markedly in August 2023. Further, recent data demonstrate a new emerging strain resistant to prior natural and vaccine immunity. The most recent emerging data show that only this updated COVID-19 vaccine produces the same immune response as previous vaccines that reduced mortality by over 95 % and morbidity by over 99 %. This recommendation encompasses all adults and children aged 6 months and older, regardless of whether they have had a prior COVID-19 infection or even if they have never received a prior vaccination. This updated COVID-19 vaccine, approved in September 2023, will be the best means to prevent COVID-19 during this upcoming season of respiratory viruses. In the meanwhile, all members of the US population regardless of previous natural infection, vaccines, or boosters are equally susceptible. At present, health providers should counsel all their patients about masking, social distancing, and avoiding crowds, especially indoors where regions of extreme weather conditions are keeping people indoors in closed quarters. In the treatment of COVID-19 the major clinical challenge to health providers, especially in their Black patients, is to prescribe Paxlovid during the first 5 days after onset of symptoms and a positive test.Copyright © 2024 National Medical Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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